Sword of Destiny
by Cactus Bob
Summary: A sword falls out of the sky at Atem's feet. Atem begins to believe that the sword was destined for him. But how will Yugi save Atem when this belief drags him into insanity?
1. From Heaven

Yu-Gi-Oh (c) Kazuki Takahashi

Yeah, I know. You're saying, "Christmas is over, C.B.!" But I wrote this a few months ago, and since I'm flooding, it's coming out in February.

* * *

Winter break had started, and it was dark and snowy outside. Atem was frozen almost constantly, even with the thermostat turned up. Yugi was deep into the Christmas spirit, singing songs and putting up decorations. Although Yugi was never into cooking, he had been baking and roasting ceaselessly since Thanksgiving. 

Atem couldn't remember this kind of fanfare last year, or the year before that. Yugi and Grandpa's holiday season had been quiet and reserved while Atem was still living in the puzzle. This year, Yugi was going all out. Yugi pretended that it was just because he was in the mood this year, but Atem knew that it was because he was trying to show Atem a good time in his new life.

"Yugi, what exactly is the point of erecting a dying tree in the middle of the living room?" Atem asked as he helped Yugi put the small pine tree into its stand.

"Well, it's pretty," Yugi said, as he screwed the tree into its base and poured water into it. "When you put lights and ornaments on it, it looks really good. I guess it's a weird tradition, dragging a tree into the house, but it's still a tradition."

Atem looked at the pile of pine needles on the ground and smirked. A weird tradition indeed. Yugi broke out a string of lights and began looping it around the trees branches. "The tree is also where you stash the presents after they're wrapped," Yugi added.

In order to save money on presents, the gang had done something called "Secret Santa". Atem picked Yugi, although he had no idea what he was going to get the boy. Aside from Duel Monsters and the arcade, Yugi had few interests.

"Yugi, I'm going out!" Atem yelled. He needed to find something for Yugi soon, because there was only two weeks until Christmas Day. Atem walked down the cold, snow-dusted street and pondered his predicament. Yugi and Atem had heard each others thoughts for years. Why couldn't Atem imagine anything that Yugi wanted?

Suddenly, Atem heard a whizzing sound. It seemed to be coming from above. It couldn't have been a plane or a helicopter. Atem looked up at the sky and jumped back as a projectile fell right as his feet. A long sword was lodged in the ground, vibrating with the impact.

Atem hesitantly wrapped his fingers around the hilt and removed it from the concrete with effort. It felt good in his hand. It had just enough weight to be steady in his grip, but it wasn't heavy. It seemed to resonate with him. It was beautiful, sharp, and well-forged. This was a quality sword. Then, a hard leather sheath bounced on the ground. Atem picked it up and slid the sword into it. It was a perfect fit.

Instantly, Atem felt as though this sword was meant to be his. It had fallen from the heavens right at his feet, sheath and all. It was perfect for his hand. This sword was his and no one else's. It belonged to him. It belonged with him.

A part of him wanted to keep this secret to himself. No one should know about this. His connection with the sword was nobody's business. But another part of him wanted to show it off to his friends. Having grown up in the modern age, they wouldn't have been able to appreciate the subtle beauty of the sword's tempering. But even a layman would be able to see how cool it was.

Atem rushed back home. Yugi's present could wait—who cared about Christmas? The sword was all that mattered.

"Yugi!" Atem yelled as he reentered the Mutou's home. "Yugi, come and see this."

Yugi walked out into the hallway. "Back so soon?" Yugi asked. He seemed to know that Atem was going to look for a gift for him. Otherwise, Atem would have told him where he was going. But he had only been gone for about ten minutes. No one, no matter how skilled they were, could buy a Christmas present in ten minutes.

Atem felt a little bit of reluctance. With a lot of mental strain, he held out his hand and showed Yugi the sword. "Hey, is that a sword?" Yugi asked. "Where'd you get it?"

"It fell from the sky," Atem said, retracting his hand as quickly as he could. "Right in front of me."

"Weird," Yugi mused. "Maybe it fell out of an airplane. I'm surprised that it's still in one piece. Did you see any other stuff around where it fell?"

"Nothing but the sheath," Atem answered. He was beginning to feel wary of this conversation. Yugi was being curious, far too curious. He would want the sword for himself! "Well, it's interesting. I'm going to keep it, see if I can find out about its history."

"Cool," Yugi said. "Let me know what you find out about it. It's strange that a sword would just fly out of the sky like that."

Yugi walked into the kitchen to continue making Christmas cookies. Atem sighed. Yugi was uninterested. The sword was still his. Leave it to Yugi to overlook something as amazing as the sword. Well, at least it wouldn't cause a rift between them. Atem decided that he would show the sword to no one else.

Atem sat down at Yugi's computer and wondered what to look for. He looked the sword and the sheath up and down to see if there were any distinguishing marks. Then Atem noticed a very small inscription at the base of the blade. "The Sword of Destiny," it said.

Atem typed this into the search engine with slow and inexperienced fingers. He had never learned to type very well. He wasn't a big fan of computers. He came up with quite a few hits. Most of them were useless. He decided to search for images instead. Almost instantly, he recognized his sword. He clicked on the picture and it led him to the website.

The entire page was dedicated to the sword. Atem frowned. So someone else really had possessed the sword before him. That didn't matter, though. It was his now; it had been given to him, and he would never, ever give it up. The sword was _his _destiny, _his _power.

Atem read the words on the page quickly. The sword was tied to murder, war, and mayhem all over the world. It was at least two thousand years old, but it could easily have been older. Everyone who possessed it seemed to become mad and obsessed with it. People had murdered each other over it.

"That's not a friendly sword," Yugi muttered. Atem spun around. Yugi was leaning over his shoulder, carrying a plate of green and red sugar cookies.

"Yugi, what are you doing here?" Atem demanded.

Yugi peered at him. "First of all, this is my room," he explained. "Second of all, I wanted to know if you wanted a cookie."

"Right, of course," Atem said shiftily.

"I can tell that you like that sword, Atem, but maybe you shouldn't keep it anymore," Yugi said. "It looks like the sword it the cause of a lot of bloodshed."

"All swords have caused a lot of bloodshed!" Atem exclaimed defensively. "That doesn't mean that you can't appreciate their beauty."

"But Atem, swords weren't designed for their beauty. They were designed to kill people," Yugi replied. "What would you keep that thing for anyway? Who are you planning on murdering?"

"If this sword has been tied to war and death, then that's all the more reason for me to keep it!" Atem said. "I can keep it out of the hands of the wicked. I can make the rest of the sword's history pure."

Yugi sighed. "Maybe those people weren't evil when they got the sword. Maybe getting the sword made them evil."

"Are you saying that this sword is going to turn me into someone like its previous owners?" Atem asked incredulously. "Yugi, don't you trust me? I'm not a murderer!"

"I know that!" Yugi said exasperatedly. "But I've never seen you get this upset about anything before. All I'm saying is that you should be careful. The sword could be dangerous. Pay attention to what you're thinking."

_I know exactly what I'm thinking,_ Atem thought. _I know that you're trying to steal the sword away from me to take it for yourself! You pretend not to be interested in it, but even you can feel how powerful it is. Your motives are not pure—you're trying to trick me out of my destiny!_

"I will," Atem said calmly. "But I don't feel anything right now. I'm sorry if I snapped at you a little, but I just want you to understand what a sword like this means to someone who was once a swordsman. This is an extraordinary weapon." To prove his sanity to Yugi, he grabbed one of the green cookies and took a bite out of it.

Yugi seemed pleased, and he smiled. Atem smiled back, but the smile was filled to the brim with venom. The backstabbing traitor thought that Atem was fooled, but Atem would always be watching. Yugi would not get his hands on the sword. It would never leave Atem's sight for more than a few minutes.


	2. Cross the Line

Yugi was worried about Atem. He carried the sword with him all around the house, and he always locked it up in a trunk when he was gone. In his room, he would stare at it for hours. Atem had grown gaunt and weary. There were dark circles around his eyes, and his skin was pale. The sword was becoming Atem's obsession, and it was consuming him.

Atem walked into the kitchen, carrying the sword as he always did. He leaned it next to his chair as he sat down to eat breakfast. Every few seconds, his eyes would dart back to the sword, checking to see if it was still there.

"You can leave the thing alone for a few minutes, you know," Yugi said. He was a little annoyed, but he was even more concerned. This was not healthy.

Atem glared at Yugi. "It is a valuable thing. I didn't see you leaving the Puzzle alone for a few minutes."

"It wasn't just a necklace, Atem—your soul lived in it!" Yugi exclaimed. "I worked on the Puzzle for all of those years because I wanted to make Grandpa happy. I kept it and protected it because it meant something to him. And then I found you. The Puzzle was valuable."

"Are you saying that the sword is worthless?" Atem asked. He looked at Yugi as he never had before, with anger and disappointment in his eyes. Yugi was just trying to convince him to part with the sword. Yugi knew how the sword made Atem feel. He wanted to take away Atem's happiness and keep the sword himself!

Yugi recoiled at Atem's expression. "Do you see what it's turning you into?" he asked. "You hardly sleep, you barely eat, you never go out anymore. Christmas is coming and we're supposed to be having a good time, but all you can think about is that stupid sword!"

"The sword is not stupid!" Atem yelled. "I treasure it more than any other possession. You know that I do."

"But why?" Yugi demanded. "Tell me what makes the sword special! Tell me what makes it valuable! Tell me why you're killing yourself to have it, why you're shunning me to keep it! Is it worth your life? Is it worth our friendship?"

"I wouldn't have to make that choice if you would only understand!" Atem retorted. "This sword came to me. I've been entrusted with it. I need to keep it safe and away from those who would do evil with it. The sword has power—I can feel it, others can feel it."

"I can't feel it," Yugi said bitterly. "Look, it's fine that you like the sword, but you shouldn't become obsessed with it. It's only a piece of metal."

"You can't appreciate it," Atem said, sulking. "You can't see the beauty in its craftsmanship."

"Maybe I can't, but you shouldn't give up your life for an object," Yugi replied. "Look, the others miss you. Why don't you go see them, and I'll take care of the sword for you?"

Atem stood up and grabbed the sword immediately. He knew this was coming. Those speeches about the sword just being an object were all lies. Yugi's real agenda had finally emerged. "I knew it," Atem seethed. "You want the sword for yourself! You've been planning to steal it from me all this time!"

Yugi retreated quickly. "Of course I don't want the sword; I just want you to be happy!"

"The sword makes me happy, and you know it," Atem said. "I've been happier than I ever have been in my life since the sword came to me."

"It doesn't seem like it," Yugi said. "You don't seem happy at all. You stare at the sword all day long, but there's never a smile on your face. You're alone almost all of the time. How could you be happy?"

"Don't lie to me anymore, Yugi. I know that this is all a trick," Atem said. "I've put up with your subterfuge for long enough."

"Subterfuge?" Yugi repeated incredulously. "Atem, you're deluding yourself! I want the best for you! I always have! The sword is poisoning your mind. This has gone on too long—you need to get rid of it!"

"Do you think that you would be a better custodian of it?" Atem asked accusingly. "That's what you want, right? You want to take care of it while I go visit the others? You want me to get rid of it so that you can take possession of it? I am not getting rid of it, and I will never give it to you!"

"You're not yourself," Yugi breathed. "Atem, you need help! Let me help you!"

"No," Atem said obstinately. "And unless you agree to drop this and leave the sword in my possession, you will become my enemy." His hand tightened around the sheath of the sword. Yugi stared at Atem in disbelief. His best friend was threatening him.

Yugi would have to pretend to be fine and then manage to maneuver the sword out of Atem's tight grip. Atem never seemed to let it out of his sight, but he had to go to sleep sometime. If Yugi could only manage to make that sleep deeper, then he could steal the sword and get it out of the house. Maybe Atem would forget about that evil thing eventually.

"Fine," Yugi said. "Keep the sword. Do whatever you want with it. But I don't think that it's right."

"Good—thanks," Atem said. He finished his breakfast in a few hurried mouthfuls and retreated to his room. Since times were desperate, Yugi decided that he would resort to desperate measures. So when Atem reemerged to eat dinner, Yugi was as pleasant as ever. He didn't bring up the sword at all. He just slipped a couple of Grandpa's sleeping pills into Atem's stew.

Within an hour, Atem was fast asleep. Yugi snuck into his room and found that the sword was locked inside that immense and heavy trunk at the base of Atem's bed. If he had had the strength, Yugi would have carried the entire trunk out of the room and dumped it into the ocean. But he had to settle for locating the trunk's key and dumping the sword into the ocean instead.

Yugi searched Atem's room closely. He looked in every drawer. He looked under Atem's bed. He looked beneath the nightstands and behind the desk. Then Yugi noticed that a piece of carpet had been taken up in the corner. Yugi pulled it up and saw that the floorboard underneath was loose. He picked it up and plucked out a small silver key.

Yugi slid the key into the lock and opened up the trunk. The sword was lying innocently at the bottom. He took it out and quickly shut the lid. He relocked it and put the key back into its hiding place. Then he rushed out of the room and down to the Game Shop.

As he was about to open the front door, he felt someone pin him to the wall. "What are you doing?" Atem asked him. Yugi squeaked. Atem pushed him harder. "I said, what are you doing?"

"I was trying to get rid of it!" Yugi yelled. "I was trying… trying to make you better."

Atem snatched the sword back from Yugi and pushed him into one of the card displays. The display, the cards, and Yugi went tumbling to the ground. Tears dripped down Yugi's face as he picked himself off the floor.

Grandpa rushed into the shop. He must have thought that it was a robbery. But instead, he saw Yugi and Atem staring at each other with a toppled display between them. "You made me sleep," Atem stated. "You put drugs in my food to take the sword from me. You accuse me of being obsessed, but you're the one that's acting crazy. You're the one that needs help, partner."

"No, I don't!" Yugi sobbed. "I was just trying to help you!"

"Until you can leave the sword with me, I cannot put you in any more danger," Atem said. Yugi felt furious. Atem actually thought that he was doing the right thing by Yugi. "I will have to leave until you can prove to me that I can trust you."

"You, trust me?" Yugi asked incredulously. "You… you pushed me!"

"I'm sorry that I did, but I needed to bring you to your senses," Atem said. "I didn't want to have to do this. You need help, and I need to protect this sword." He opened up the door. "I hope that I will see you soon, Yugi." And without another word, he left with the sword.

Yugi felt to his knees amongst the Duel Monsters cards. He had failed. He had let Atem sink into his obsession. Would Yugi ever be able to save him? Would Atem ever be able to save himself? If Atem didn't stop this, then he could kill himself or someone else. The sword brought with it anger and hatred and destruction.

Now Atem was all alone in a pool of that wickedness. It was soaking into him every second, and now there was nothing standing between him and evil.


	3. Cage of Darkness

Atem walked down the street, carrying the sword close to him. It had made him very sad to treat Yugi like that, but Yugi needed help. If that meant that Atem had to push Yugi into a card display, so be it. If that meant that Atem could never see Yugi again, so be it. It was for the best. Yugi would not have to suffer.

The sword belonged with Atem. Atem knew that others would desire it, but he needed to protect the world from the sword's sway. Atem needed to keep it. It was his destiny.

There was only the matter of where to stay now that he had left the Game Shop. A house would be best. That way he could be totally alone. But he could not afford a home of his own. He would just have to evict a family who was living in a house now. It would be for the greater good.

Atem heard footsteps behind him. It was late, and the streets were nearly empty. He put his hand on the sword's hilt. "That sword is mine," a female voice said. Atem spun around. A woman in a red jumpsuit was crossing her arms at him.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken," Atem replied. He unsheathed his sword and dropped the sheath to the ground. "The sword belongs to me now. I found it, I will guard it. Do not get in my way."

The woman chuckled. "Silly little boy… you think that you can use that sword better than I can?" she asked. She began to laugh out loud, and Atem glared at her. "No one can wield that sword better than me," she said coldly. "Give it back to me."

"You will never have it," Atem seethed. She frowned. She took a small dagger out of her pocket. She rushed at Atem and stabbed at his chest. Atem quickly deflected it and swiped at her stomach. She dodged the blow.

"The little boy knows how to play with swords," she said condescendingly. She swept out her leg to trip him, but he jumped and stabbed at her throat. She didn't have a chance to block. She choked as thick, red blood dripped down her chest and stained her jumpsuit. Atem removed his sword, and she fell to the ground, dead.

Atem breathed hard and tapped the ground with the end of the sword. She was dead—he had killed her. Had anyone seen? Did anyone know it was him? Atem cleaned the blade on the leg of her pants and quickly shoved it back into its sheath.

Atem backed into the wall and held his face with his bloody hands. He had killed someone! The sword… the fear of losing it had driven him to madness. Yugi had been right. Atem needed to get rid of it.

He summoned all of his mental energy and tried to drop the sword… but it wouldn't fall. Why couldn't he let go of it? He had to get rid of it—he had killed someone because of it. Atem ran off to the Game Shop. Yugi had been right. Atem needed help; he needed someone to dispose of the sword that had so much control over him.

* * *

Yugi sat on the stairs of the Game Shop. He couldn't will himself to go upstairs and see Atem's empty and abandoned room. What had happened? Yugi and Atem had managed to be normal kids for six months. Now, right before Christmas, Atem had been possessed by that evil sword. 

How could Yugi have been so careless? He should have been more careful; he should have put more pills into Atem's food. Now Atem was gone because of Yugi's thoughtlessness. And he might never come back.

Grandpa swept the pieces of glass off the floor. "It's not your fault, Yugi," he said quietly. Yugi stared at him with red, swollen eyes. "From what you told me, that sword has turned the best people in the world into monsters, and it's been doing it for thousands of years. There was little that you could have done."

"I should have… I shouldn't have let him keep it…" Yugi said dejectedly.

"That sword controlled Atem the moment that he picked it up," Grandpa said. "You tried to take it from him by force, and he was ready to kill you. You tried to persuade him to give it up and he accused you of wanting it for yourself. The sword held him too powerfully."

Yugi sighed. "I wish that there was something I could do for him," he replied.

The Game Shop door suddenly opened. Atem stumbled inside. His face and hands were smeared with blood, and he was carrying the sword. He fell to his knees, and Yugi ran up to him. "Atem, are you alright?" Yugi asked. "What happened?"

Tears dripped out of Atem's eyes. "Yugi, please help me," he begged. "I can't get rid of it. I can't let it go."

"Give it to me…" Yugi said softly. He went to slip the sword out of Atem's hand and Atem retreated into the wall.

"If you touch it, I will kill you," he said. "I have… I have killed another…" His voice shook. Yugi's eyes widened. Atem had killed someone? No, no he hadn't. The sword possessed him—Atem hadn't killed anybody.

"It's going to be alright, I promise," Yugi said soothingly.

Atem leaned his forehead on his knees, but his hand was gripping the sword so tightly that his knuckles were white. "I'm becoming evil, Yugi, as much of a villain as any other that we've fought," he said. "I took a life… I hurt you… I have done terrible things. I can't keep this sword any longer, but I can't…"

Yugi put his hand on Atem's free arm, and Atem flinched. "We'll find a way," Yugi answered. "Just… just go upstairs and clean yourself up, and the others and I will look for a solution."

Atem nodded dumbly and picked himself off the floor. He walked slowly up the stairs, carrying the sword in his hand. "The gang is going to want to know about this," Yugi said to Grandpa. "All of this. But it seems wrong to drag them out of the Christmas spirit to deal with this mess."

"Atem's well-being is more important than Christmas," Grandpa replied. "Tomorrow morning, call them. You'll have much more of a chance of saving Atem from that sword if you have all of your friends behind you."

* * *

"Um… Atem?" Tea asked. Atem's hand twitched, but other than that he did not respond at all. His eyes were blank, and the sword was set immovably on his lap. "Atem? Please, say something." 

"He hasn't talked since last night," Yugi said sadly. "And he hasn't moved from that chair since this morning."

"At least he hasn't tried to kill anyone," Tristan mused.

"If we need ta get that sword away from him, we should just take it!" Joey exclaimed. He grabbed the sword and yanked it out of Atem's hands.

"Joey, no!" Yugi yelled. Atem sprang to his feet and grabbed a chef's knife. He lunged at Joey, and Joey barely had a chance to deflect the short blade with the sword. Yugi ran in between them and hurried to hand the sword back to Atem. Atem, pleased that the sword had been returned to him, sat down again in his chair and placed the sword on his lap.

Joey breathed hard. "He… he just…"

"I told you that he would do that!" Yugi yelled angrily. "As long as he has the sword, he's stable. If anyone tries to take it from him, he'd tear them apart to get it back! We need to find a way to break the sword's hold on him without taking it away from him."

Tristan growled. "Why did Atem have to pick up that thing? And why couldn't he have gotten rid as soon as he started going crazy?"

Yugi stopped. "That's a good point, Tristan," he said softly. "I've held the sword, and Joey's held the sword, but neither of us has felt what Atem's feeling. I know that the sword has possessed others in the past, but why didn't it affect us?"

"Maybe… it only affects people who are into swords?" Tea offered. "I mean, you and Joey don't know the first thing about swordsmanship, but Atem was totally into that sort of thing."

"I don't know," Yugi replied. "I looked up the sword yesterday, and it said that many people had been possessed, people who had no idea what sword fighting was all about."

"Maybe if we figure out why the sword is targeting Atem, we'll have a better chance of freeing him," Tristan said. "But how are we going to do that? Just start handing the sword to people to see if they go crazy?"

"We wouldn't be able to do that even if it was reasonable," Yugi said. "That would still mean taking the sword away from Atem. Maybe we should look for a list of the people that the sword has possessed. If we do enough research, we might be able to find a common link between them."

"It sounds like a good idea," Tea said. "Let's split up and look on our own computers. We'll call you if we find anything. Just take care of Atem while we're gone."

"Of course," Yugi said. The gang waved goodbye and left. Yugi knelt down beside Atem. "We'll find a way to get you back to normal, Atem. I swear," he said. "Just take care of that sword for now and make sure that nobody else gets their hands on it."

There was a rasping noise in the back of Atem's throat. Yugi took that as the best agreement that Atem could give. Yugi felt tears form in his eyes. The ex-pharaoh who had saved the world had been reduced to this catatonic child because of a sword. He could only imagine what Atem's soul was going through right now. He was trapped in a cage of darkness, unable to express himself through his body. This sword was evil, and it needed to be destroyed.


	4. On the Hunt

Atem hadn't budged from the kitchen seat all day. Yugi had tried to convince him to let go of the sword to eat or drink, but Atem had silently refused. After ten o'clock, Yugi had decided to leave Atem be and go to bed.

The window opened, letting in a frigid breeze. Atem stirred slightly. Something in the back of his mind told him that the window was not supposed to be open. A hand touched the sword. That hand would shortly be removed.

Atem stood up, drew the sword from its sheath, and pointed it at the stranger. A broad man with a mask on his face bared his teeth at Atem. He was wearing a black suit with a skull symbol on the back of the jacket. "The sword belongs to me," he growled. "If you don't give it back to me now, I will _take it from you_."

Atem swung at the stranger, but the man dodged it with speed that was unusual for his great frame. With a series of hard, quick blows, the sword was out of Atem's hand and in the stranger's possession. Atem sat on the ground, panting furiously with bruises all over his face.

"I told you I'd take it from you," the man said. He placed a boot on Atem's chest, pinning him to the ground, and stroked the sword fondly. "I should kill you from trying to keep the sword away from me," he mused. "But I'll let you live. If you come after me, I will torture you, dismember you, and watch you die slowly."

He squeezed himself through the window and escaped into the night. Something flashed behind Atem's eyes. The sword was gone. Atem could be free now. But the sword was his! This stranger would pay for taking it away from him!

But the man had already proved that he was stronger and faster than Atem was. Atem felt the bruises on his face and stomach throb slowly. As much as he resented it, he would need help from his friends. What if they, too, wanted the sword for themselves? Atem decided that he would just kill them if they proved to be a nuisance.

Atem burst into Yugi's room. Yugi sat up immediately and wheeled around. "Atem?" he asked groggily. "Atem, you're up!"

"This is no time for pleasantries, Yugi," Atem replied harshly. "The sword—the sword is gone."

"What happened to your face?" Yugi asked. He still seemed half asleep. Atem almost struck him. How could he sleep when something so terrible had happened?

"A man came into the house and stole the sword from me!" Atem exclaimed. "We must find him as quickly as possible."

"Why are you asking me for help?" Yugi wondered. "Don't you want the sword for yourself?"

Atem sighed. "I am… not strong enough to defeat him on my own. But I assure you," he said warningly, "if you attempt to take the sword from me, I will destroy you."

Yugi hung his head. "Right," he said sadly. "This man—do you know where he went, or where he came from?"

"I know nothing about him except that he was a large man, and his clothing was strange," Atem said. "He was wearing a suit, but it had a skull symbol on the back."

"Hey, I know those clothes!" Yugi said. "I saw on the news that a suit with a skull was the uniform for an underground group of sword-fighting enthusiasts."

"Where are their headquarters?" Atem demanded.

Yugi got out of bed and began to change. It was obvious that he wasn't getting any sleep that night. "I heard that it was somewhere around Old Town. Maybe it's in the sewers or under a building."

"Let's go," Atem said quickly. Yugi was still in his underwear, and he was in no condition to go at that moment. Atem tapped his finger against his leg impatiently as Yugi got his clothes. Yugi was taking too long. "Actually, why don't I get Joey or Tristan to come with me, and you can go back to bed?" he suggested. His patience was already wearing thin.

"Maybe that's a good idea," Yugi said. "I wouldn't exactly be able to help you fight."

Atem left immediately. Yugi looked out of the window, still in his underwear, and saw Atem walking quickly to Joey's house. He didn't seem to care that Joey's father was probably passed out drunk in a pool of his own vomit on the living room floor. Joey never wanted anyone to visit his house for that very reason.

It took almost ten minutes for Atem to reach Joey's house—far too long for comfort. Atem knocked on the door violently. He heard two men shouting at each other, and then Joey drowsily opened up the door. "Atem?" he asked. "Whatcha doin' outta da chair, bud? Did Yug' find a way ta fix ya?"

"The sword is gone. We must find it," Atem said, ignoring him. "I need your help. Will you come with me?"

Joey's eyes narrowed. He seemed to be understanding what was going on. "You want da sword back so ya can have it for yourself," Joey said. "Sorry, Atem. I ain't gonna help ya get back somethin' that was gonna kill ya."

Atem fumed. "You—I've saved your soul, Joey, and this is how you repay me?"

"Exactly," Joey said. "I'm savin' ya soul just like ya saved mine. You're gonna hafta let da sword go, man."

"You are a fool," Atem seethed. "And when I get the sword back, you will pay for refusing me!"

"I'm sorry I gotta hear ya say that," Joey sighed. "I hope ya get betta, but I can't get ya more inta trouble and call myself ya friend."

Atem turned on his heel and stormed off. If no one was going to help him, he would just get the sword himself. The man had caught him off guard; that was the only reason Atem had lost. He could defeat anyone. The sword would be his again.

Yugi had mentioned Old Town. Atem entered the small, archaic district and could feel the power of the sword calling to him. Its blade sang from below his feet… So the sword fighters' headquarters were in the sewers.

Like a dog, Atem sniffed the air and caught hold of the sword's aura. Its strength was distinctive. There was a trail leading straight into the manhole in the middle of the street. Atem lifted up the grate and dropped down into murky water.

The trail was even stronger now. Atem walked slowly so that the swishing sound of his feet would be masked by the rush of water pouring into the drain. Although Atem would have walked through anything to get the sword back, he did not want to examine what he was standing in. The smell in his nostrils was getting ranker and ranker, and the odor had a distinctly metallic tinge to it.

Atem willed his eyes downward and saw that the sewer water was thick with blood. He grimaced and kept on walking.

The sewer opened into a large series of tiered platforms. Bodies hung from the railing. So this was where the blood was coming from. Atem pulled himself out of the red water and climbed up the many staircases. When he reached the top, he saw the man standing there with the sword in his hand. He was covered in the blood of his comrades.

"So you've come back, have you?" the man asked. "The sword has chosen me. I told you that if I saw you again, I would have no mercy." He raised the sword. "Are you ready to die, fool?"

Atem raised his fists and rushed at the man. The man swung the sword violently, but Atem was prepared for his agility this time. Atem dodged and punched the man in the stomach. He doubled over and Atem tried to steal the sword out of his hand, but the man became feral and bit Atem in the arm. Atem cried out, but he kicked the man's knee, causing the man to fall to the ground.

The man desperately clutched the sword and limped to the railing. "So, _fool_," Atem said, laughing derisively, "do you really think that you're worthy of that sword? You can't even scratch me."

"Those bruises on your face would say otherwise," the man replied. Atem touched his cheek. It still hurt. But that didn't matter. Atem was winning, and the sword would be his. He just needed to kill this man and pry it out of his cold, dead hands.

The man leaned tentatively on his leg and winced. Atem smiled sadistically. He was glad that it hurt. The man deserved to die painfully and slowly for what he had done. But there was little time to waste. The sword shouldn't be with this idiot—it belonged to Atem. Atem was about to go ahead and finish the man off, but something hit his back.

All of a sudden, a burning, blinding pain shot through Atem's body. Atem fell to the ground and shook violently. His teeth were clenched so hard that he thought they would break. His fingernails dug into his palms and drew blood. Eventually, the pain became so great that he passed out, and he never saw that the man, too, had been knocked unconscious.


	5. The Best of Us

Atem's eyes opened slowly. He felt as though his head were going to split open, and every slight movement made his headache substantially worse. He managed to push himself onto his knees and looked around. The man was still lying across from him, but the sword… the sword was gone.

Atem shot up immediately. He didn't care about the pain—the sword was still in the possession of another. He could never rest while the sword was not in his grasp! Suddenly everything turned black and Atem fell back onto the ground. This wasn't good. Although every fiber of his being willed him to track down the sword and retrieve it, his body wouldn't allow him to do so just yet. He needed a small rest, as much as he hated it. He hadn't eaten or slept or had anything to drink for a full twenty-four hours, and he was pretty sure that he had just been electrocuted.

He managed to stand up straight and walk slowly back to the Game Shop. Yugi had agreed to help Atem before. Maybe, Atem hoped faintly, Yugi would help him now. Yugi knew that, even in his weakened state, Atem could easily kill Yugi if he wished. Fear always inspired obedience.

Atem stumbled into the kitchen, and Yugi immediately looked up from breakfast. "Atem, what happened?" Yugi asked. He glanced at Atem's hands. Atem hadn't gotten the sword back yet, he realized. "Your eyes… and your hair…"

"Get me something to eat and drink, and give me something for my head. It hurts," Atem commanded. Yugi rushed and got some ibuprofen and a glass of water. As Atem downed two of the little pills, Yugi hurried to make some scrambled eggs and toast. "And coffee," Atem added.

Yugi set the breakfast down in front of Atem and watched as Atem wolfed it down. "Did you… find it?" Yugi asked hesitantly. He had chosen his words carefully. He obviously did not want to incur Atem's anger.

"I found it," Atem said between bites, "but I didn't get it back. I was about to defeat my enemy when another person stepped in. He knocked us both unconscious and took the sword for himself. I was about to go after him myself, but… I wasn't in the condition to do so."

"Oh," Yugi said softly. Atem finished the rest of his coffee and then took a hot, steamy shower to get the sewer smell out of his skin and the tiredness out of his eyes. He would rest when the sword was his. Until then, he needed to get out of the Game Shop as quickly as possible and track the sword thief down.

Atem pulled on a new jacket and was about to leave, but Yugi stepped in front of him. "Joey and Tristan didn't help you?" he asked.

"Joey refused. I didn't bother to ask Tristan," Atem replied shortly. He brushed his way past Yugi rudely and put his hand on the doorknob, but Yugi stopped him again.

"That's the second time you've lost the sword," he said. "Are you sure that you don't need help?"

"The only reason that I've lost it is because my enemies have caught me off guard," Atem said. He was beginning to get annoyed. Why was Yugi questioning his judgment? "I can defeat anyone when I'm prepared."

"Maybe you need someone to… look out for you," Yugi suggested. "I can't fight very well, but I can let you know if there's someone on the sidelines who's planning on taking you by surprise."

Atem looked at Yugi closely. "You are offering to help me? I thought that you believed that the sword was evil and that we needed to get rid of it."

"I don't want you to have it so that you can have it," Yugi admitted. "I want you to have it so that no one else will have it. As long as it's with you, then I can keep an eye on it, and you won't have to go out every night to get yourself killed. It's best for the both of us."

"Hm. Well, perhaps I would appreciate your assistance," Atem replied. In his heart, Atem believed that this was yet another one of Yugi's copious lies. Yugi still wanted the sword for himself, but he would have to resort to further trickery to get his filthy little hands on it. He was planning to be faithful and earn Atem's trust, but Atem would always keep a close eye on him.

Yugi smiled. "All right. So do you know where the sword is?" They walked outside. Atem sniffed the air and he could smell the sword's great power. It was still in the city.

"Come on," Atem said softly. He walked down the street quickly and Yugi hurried after him. He kept his senses honed on the sword and ignored almost everything else. He was so focused that Yugi had to keep him from walking onto a street filled with speeding cars. They walked for quite some time, until the trail led them straight to the entrance of KaibaCorp.

"KaibaCorp?" Yugi wondered. "What is the sword doing here?" Atem grimaced. The last thing he needed was Seto Kaiba in the mix. Atem walked into the door and glanced warily at each of the businessmen. None of them had it. Kaiba wouldn't have let them walk through the front door if they had the sword. It must have been in Kaiba's possession.

Atem walked up to the receptionist's desk. "I need to speak with Seto Kaiba," he said. "Now."

"Do you have an appointment?" she asked. "Or is this for a duel, Mr. Mutou?"

Yugi raised his eyebrows. Either this receptionist was very good at her job, or Atem and Yugi were very well known in KaibaCorp. "Tell him that it's about the sword," Atem replied. He tapped his fingernails against the desk as the receptionist called Kaiba's office. Every moment without the sword was like torture. The sword was more important than oxygen, more important than friendship, more important than love. The sword was everything, and it needed to be returned to him.

"Mr. Kaiba would like to request that you meet him in his office as soon as possible," the receptionist replied finally. Atem sped off. "He seems as anxious to meet Mr. Kaiba as Mr. Kaiba was to meet him," the receptionist mused.

"Yes, um, thank you very much," Yugi said politely. He dashed after Atem. Kaiba and Atem were already bitter rivals—it would be an unspeakable catastrophe to have the sword between them also.

It was an uncomfortable and long elevator ride up to the top floor. "Do you really think that Kaiba has the sword?" Yugi asked.

"Who else would take it?" Atem asked. "The sword's aura was coming from the top floor. Besides, the receptionist didn't seem the type."

"You didn't seem the type either…" Yugi said softly. Atem stared at him, and something tugged on Atem's heart. Didn't seem the type… didn't seem the type to murder? Didn't seem the type to threaten and steal? Perhaps not. Perhaps Atem shouldn't have become so attached to the sword… But the desire swelled up like venom in his veins, and his thoughts were drawn back to the sword's great power.

Atem knocked on the door of Kaiba's office. The door opened and a hand emerged, carrying a syringe. The hand stuck the needle into Atem's neck and released the clear fluid into his bloodstream. Atem's eyes rolled up in his head and he passed out.

Kaiba walked out of his office and pointed a Taser at Yugi. Yugi raised his hands. "Hey! I don't want the sword!" Yugi yelled quickly. Kaiba scoffed and lowered his weapon.

"You seem to be one of the few that don't," Kaiba said coldly. "Did he?" Yugi nodded, but Kaiba really didn't seem to care.

"How did you find out about the sword?" Yugi asked, skipping into Kaiba's office as Kaiba dragged Atem unceremoniously behind him. "Is it here?"

Kaiba picked up the telephone. "Get someone up here to take Atem down to quarantine. And tell them to keep away from the sword." He hung up. "Mokuba killed a man today," he said.

Yugi gasped. "Mokuba…?"

"Before I took the sword away from him, he explained that he had seen someone walking down the street with that sword in their hand," Kaiba said. "He took the gun that I gave him for protection and followed the man into a secluded place. He shot him and took the sword for himself."

"Let me guess—you tried to take the sword away from him and he went berserk," Yugi said. The exact same thing happened to him.

"My own brother tried to murder me, Yugi!" Kaiba exclaimed. "I know that this sword is evil! I had to have Mokuba and the sword quarantined for his safety."

"Did you touch it?" Yugi asked. "It could have affected you too…"

"I feel nothing," Kaiba responded shortly. "But this is serious, Yugi. We need to find a solution quickly."

"I think that we need to destroy it," Yugi said. "You've managed to keep it away from Atem and Mokuba, so now we have an opportunity to get rid of it once and for all."

"We don't have a blacksmith furnace in KaibaCorp, Yugi," Kaiba said coldly. Yugi frowned.

"I know that," he said. He was becoming a little annoyed. Kaiba's attitude combined with the trauma of this situation was wearing heavily on Yugi's patience. "We'll just have to go someplace that does have one. I'm sure that you can find a way to transport the sword without being exposed to it."

"Of course I do," Kaiba replied. He picked up the telephone again. "Get the sword ready for transport in ten minutes. And don't let it out of its container." At that moment, one of Kaiba's employees walked into the room and carried Atem down to the area where Mokuba was being held.

Kaiba and Yugi came down to the area themselves. Yugi flinched as he heard Mokuba screaming and banging on the door to his room with all his might. The sword was in a fiberglass container, shining innocently in the harsh light. Yugi looked at it with hatred. That inanimate object had caused all of this trouble.

"I hope that all of this will be over soon," Yugi said as two men loaded the sword into a reinforced steel box. "I miss the real Atem." Kaiba was silent. "And I bet you miss the real Mokuba too," Yugi continued.

Suddenly, Yugi heard the sound of breaking glass. In an instant, the two employees were knocked unconscious. The fiberglass case was broken open and the sword was stolen. Kaiba raised his Taser and fired. A man in ninja clothes writhed on the floor, and the sword fell to the ground.

Kaiba stared at the strange man and the sword clattering on the floor. His eyes glazed over slightly, and he bent down and picked the sword up. "Kaiba, no! You know what that will do!" Yugi yelled.

"The sword is mine, Yu—" Kaiba fell unconscious onto the ground. Yugi weak arms shook and he had to put the metal box down. As much as he hated to hit Kaiba on the head, it needed to be done. Now there was just the problem of how to carry the sword without being infected by its thrall. The metal box was way too heavy for him, and the fiberglass box was broken. Maybe if he hurried, he would be able to destroy the sword before it infected him, too.

Yugi picked up the sword and dashed out of the room. If he could finish this, then it would all finally be over.


	6. In Fire Purified

Wow! Fics are just dying off like little fruit flies today, aren't they?

Thanks to **Deviousdragon, dragonlady222, Suma Amoru, Kiku Okassu, **and **CuteYami **for reviewing!

Thanks to **Pharaohess163 **and **musasgal** for favoriting!

Thanks to **Panguins-in-American-Oh-my, Pharaohess163, **and **potter-me-** for alerting!

And thanks to all my readers!

* * *

Yugi ran up to the local ancient weapons store. According to the yellow pages, this store had its own forge. It wasn't open on Saturdays, but that was all for the best—this way, Yugi wouldn't have to worry about a greedy blacksmith trying to take the sword away from him.

He snuck around to the back and reluctantly broke a window with the hilt of the sword. He scrambled inside the building, cutting his face accidentally on a shard of glass. There were many weapons here, and molds. But what he was looking for was the gigantic furnace in the back of the shop.

Yugi examined it closely. First, he opened up the large iron door. Then he turned on the oven to its maximum setting. He waited a while for the fire to heat up. The sword was heavy in his hands.

He had carried it for a good twenty minutes now, yet he had felt none of the usual effects. Why could that be? Kaiba and Atem had felt it at almost the moment they first held it. Mokuba had felt it after he had just seen it from a distance. Was Yugi somehow immune to its power?

"You don't want to do this, Yugi," a familiar voice said warningly. Atem walked into the room, carrying one of the shop's swords. He looked mad. His eyes were all red and dark, and his skin was sickly pale. His hair was even more out of order than usual. And the expression on his face—it sent chills down Yugi's spine. It was the look of possession, of uncontrollable desire, lust that would drive him to do anything to obtain his prize "You won't have an opportunity to put the sword in the fire before I kill you."

Yugi gripped the sword and inched toward the blistering flames. "You don't want to do this either," Yugi replied. "I have to save you from the sword. I have to destroy it!"

The door burst open, and Kaiba walked in. Mokuba was trailing behind him. They cornered Yugi, forming a half-circle like a pack of wolves around him and the sword. "Give it to me, Yugi," Atem said. "Give it to me and you will live."

"Give it to me!" Mokuba yelled.

"Hand it over, Yugi," Kaiba commanded.

Yugi backed up until he couldn't back up anymore. The three men were coming closer and closer, and the fire was getting hotter and hotter. "I have to destroy it!" Yugi yelled desperately. He tossed it into the furnace as the others lunged to him and he sunk to the floor.

He heard screams of outrage and despair. Yugi shut his eyes and covered his ears. A strong hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him to his feet. "What did you do?" Atem demanded. "What did you…?" His eyes glazed over, and he passed out. Mokuba and Kaiba collapsed next to him.

Yugi breathed shakily. Tears dripped down his cheeks, and he began to sob. It was over. It was finally, truly over. The sword was destroyed. Yugi had destroyed the sword and saved his friends. It was finished.

* * *

"Yugi, I'm so very sorry," Atem said for the thousandth time. "I can't believe that I actually threatened to kill you."

"It's all right. It wasn't really you," Yugi replied. "I'm just glad it's over…" He rested his head against the back of the couch. "I felt so lonely when you were the bad guy. But there's still something I don't understand. Why did it affect you and not me?"

Atem sighed. "The sword told me many lies, Yugi," he admitted. "Lies that I was naïve enough to trust. It told me that I would be given enough power to rule as I once did. It told me that, with the sword, I would be able to spread peace throughout my kingdom and govern my people with a wise hand." Atem sighed. "I was so foolish. I'm sorry."

"It's okay!" Yugi said. "Maybe… Maybe that's why it was called the Sword of Destiny. It promised its owner what their heart desired, what they wanted their destiny to be. I guess that I wasn't affected because I already have everything I want."

Atem looked down in shame. "Atem, it's not a bad thing that you want to bring peace to the world," Yugi said softly. "And it makes sense that you would want to rule. You were raised your entire life to be pharaoh, and you were only able to be a pharaoh for a couple of weeks. Don't blame yourself. You thought that what you were doing was for the best."

Atem paused. "Yugi, what day is it today?" he asked.

"Oh, Sunday, I think," Yugi said dismissively.

"What date?"

Yugi stopped. "Merry Christmas, Atem," he said quietly. "I almost forgot."

"Merry Christmas, Yugi," Atem replied. "I didn't get your present, Yugi. I was your Secret Santa this year."

Yugi looked at him and laughed. "I didn't get your present either," he said. "I was your Secret Santa too." Atem chuckled.

"Why don't we just have some of your Christmas cookies and watch a few movies?" Atem offered.

Yugi smiled. "Sounds good to me."


End file.
